Forgotten Memories
by Andrew Stillnight
Summary: "You have to listen to the sounds of the night, Dashie, not just hear them." Rated M for mature themes, contains OC. Mainly FlutterDash, other pairings as well.
1. Chapter I: Silent Night

**Authors' Note: This is a FlutterDash fic. The first chapter is very short, but the latter ones will be longer. Please, R&R!**

Chapter I: Silent Night

"The Night is so quiet."

"Only because you're not listening, Dashie." Fluttershy nuzzled up against her marefriends' mane.

"The Night is as full of life as the Day. You just have to listen."

"So I've been told, yes." Rainbow Dash grinned. Fluttershy gently bumped her head.

"You should pay attention to your surroundings. You have to listen to the sounds, not just hear them! The moths flying, the wind gently swaying through the trees. You can't hear such beautiful things during the day." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. This was so not cool.

"Yeah, but the day has all the awesome things, like Cloud Racing!" Rainbow cuddled up to her lover.

"Cloud Racing… Do you remember?" she asked Fluttershy. Fluttershy blushed.

"Of course I remember. I could never forget that day! That's when I got my cutie mark!" Rainbow Dash looked at her, an expecting eyebrow raised.

"And?"

"And… the day I met you." Said Fluttershy.

"The most awesomest day of my life."

Fluttershy merely smiled and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash.

"'Shy?" Asked Rainbow.

"Yes?"

"I'm gonna go inside. It's cold."

"Oh, okay. Are you alright? You could catch a cold!"

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just a bit chilly, is all."

"Want me to make you some hot soup? That works great against a cold!"

"No thanks. I'll just go check on Autumn & Winter and I'll go to bed."

"Oh, okay. I'll join you in a moment, I want to enjoy the peacefulness."

"Don't keep me waiting." Said Rainbow Dash with a mischievous grin.

"I won't. You go on ahead, I'll be right there." Rainbow Dash untied herself from her marefriends' embrace and walked inside. Fluttershy stared at Luna's night for a few more minutes and sighed.

"Oh Rainbow… Why can't you see the empty places inside of me?"


	2. Chapter II: Hidden Distress

Chapter II: Hidden Distress

"No, Autumn, you can't eat that!" Fluttershy's calm voice tried to rise over the twins' noisy laughter. Her four year-old foals were quite the hooffull.

"Oh, Autumn, when'll you learn to eat your food instead of your plate?" Autumn squealed.

"Plates are nicer to eat!" He used his horn to levitate his plate so his mother couldn't reach it. The twins were Unicorns, as opposed to their Pegasi parents. They were born from Fluttershy, because Rainbow didn't want her physique ruined by childbirth, which Fluttershy respected. Giving birth to a child would destroy Rainbows' condition in her eyes, and she feared she'd never race again. The gentle-hearted Pegasus had offered to be the one who carried the child. Twilight had arranged for a nameless donor out of Canterlot to father the children. They never actually met, but through the help of Unicorn magic, they transferred the nameless Unicorn father's seed to Fluttershy, giving her the two miracles that wore her down day after day. Oh yes, they owed Twilight a lot.

"Oh – Winter, sweetie, don't do that!" Winter had levitated the table and was trying to throw it out the window. Fluttershy put Autumn back in his chair, and hurried to his brother.

"Winter, you… you have to stop that!" She said hesitantly. Her son didn't seem to hear her, and continued to bang the table against the window sill. Fluttershy kept trying to get her son to stop destroying their house and its furniture, but it was to no avail. Winter Dash kept bashing their windows and table to bits with some short squeals of joy in between.

"Enough, Winter!" she yelled. When her cry was met with even more joyous destruction, she grabbed her sons' face and forced him to look into her eyes. She stared at him with the look that she always used when animals weren't listening either – toddlers were kind of the same thing, anyway. Winters' horn stopped glowing, and a loud thud resounded throughout the room. Fluttershy sighed. She cleaned off her sons to take them to school. Autumn hated school, whilst Winter seemed to love it. Winter would always come home and tell his mother of how much fun they'd had, while Winter would always whine about how he was treated totally unfair – like when some foals got to sit in front when they read stories, and he'd always have to sit in the back, even though they switched every day. Winter had to be in the spotlight – the centre of attention, while Autumn just wanted to enjoy himself.

"Come now boys, we really have to go to school now."

Within five seconds, the room was empty. Winter bolted out the room, up the stairs and into his bedroom, whilst Autumn bolted out the room to the front door. Fluttershy followed them both into the hallway, and then told Autumn to wait there while she fetched his brother. She flew up the stairs and into the twins' room. Winter was sulking in his bed.

"I don't wanna go to school, mom!"

"I know, Winter, but you have to. You should try to enjoy yourself a bit! You know, me and your mother met in flight school. If it weren't for school, you two wouldn't be here right now! Now, stop sulking and get ready, young colt."

Winter looked at her angry. Fluttershy stared at him with a look that said 'If you're not done in five minutes, you're in for it', whilst at the same time making a mental note to talk to Miss Cheerilee. He sighed.

"Fine!" Fluttershy relaxed.

"Good. Now, get ready and meet me and your brother downstairs, okay?" Winter didn't answer.

"Okay?" said Fluttershy again, urging him to answer.

"Yes mom." He muttered. Satisfied, Fluttershy left her son to get his saddlebags ready and went down to the other twin.

"Where's Winter, mommy?" Autumn asked.

"Winter's upstairs, sweetie, he's getting his books."

"Oh, okay."

Winter came down a couple minutes later.

"I'm ready, mommy."

"Okay sweetie. Let's get going then, we don't want to be late, do we?"

"We don't!" said the twins, one happy and one reluctant. Fluttershy walked out the door with her sons, and took them to school.

Rainbow Dash was taking care of the clouds in Ponyville when she heard someone call out for her.

"Hey Rainbow, come down a sec!" Rainbow Dash looked below her to see Apple Jack standing below her. She swooped down and landed in front of her.

"Hi AJ. How you doin'?"

"Ah'm doin' fine, thanks. Ah wanted to talk to ya 'bout somethin'."

"Alright, what's up?" Apple Jack looked anxious.

"Uhm… Can we… Go someplace else, maybe? Ah'm not comfortable talkin' 'bout it here, ya see." Rainbow Dash frowned.

"Okay, sure. How about Sweet Apple Acres at six?" Apple Jack jumped up.

"No, we can't!" she shouted.

"Uh… Okay, maybe not. Where do you want to meet?"

"How about the mines?"

"The mines? But they're way on the other side of Ponyville!"

Fluttershy dropped herself on her bed. She'd just taken the twins to school, which wasn't easy. Winter was always trying to sneak away with every opportunity he got. She sighed. She'd spoken to Miss Cheerilee and scheduled an appointment that Saturday, so she could bring Rainbow.

But those were worries for another time. Fluttershy now only longed for a nice, long rest in her bed. Her eyes were heavy, and slowly slid shut. Within five minutes after coming home, she had drifted away into the land of dreams.

_A filly lay hidden in the shadows, watching the others play their games. The filly thought one of them was looking at her, so she cringed and crawled deeper into her little corner. The other fillies laughed and continued playing their games. A Pegasus pony with rainbow-coloured hair was playing with an earth pony, this one bright-pink with a bushy mane. Fluttershy watched them play for a while, when the rainbow-maned Pegasus kicked the ball too far, and it landed right next to her. She looked at it with big eyes._

_"Hey! Can you throw me back the ball?" the Pegasus yelled. Fluttershy yelped._

_"Can you hear me?" asked the Pegasus. Fluttershy whispered a yes, but even she had trouble hearing it. The Pegasus pony flew towards her._

_"Oh, hi, Fluttershy! Sorry, I didn't realize it was you."_

_"H-Hi Rainbow Dash…" she whimpered._

_"Wanna come join me and Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy shook her head._

_"Why not?"_

_"She scares me." Muttered Fluttershy._

_"Oh, that's ridiculous!" Rainbow said._

_"Hey, Pinkie! Come over here!" She yelled. Fluttershy looked at her, anxiously._

_"It's alright, Fluttershy, she's just a pony." Fluttershy carefully regarded the pink pony jumping up and down towards them. Her corner didn't feel safe anymore._

_"Hi Rainbow Dash! I wondered what was taking you so long to get the ball back but now I see you met another pony and I think I know you your name is Fluttershy right? I know everypony in ponyville, so I'm one-hundred percent sure it is, this is so great! You could come join me and Rainbow Dash and we could play games all day long!" She exclaimed in a single breath._

_"Uhm… I – I don't really like playing games…" Fluttershy whispered._

_"What? How could you not like playing games!? They're only the third most awesomest thing ever invented! The first most awesomest thing is a party and the second is Rainbow Dash because she can fly so fast and she's like the most amazing pony EVER!" Pinkie Pie kept on rattling, bouncing up and down._

_"Calm down, Pinkie! It's okay if you don't want to come, 'Shy. Raincheck?" Fluttershy eagerly shook her head – she wanted to be free of Pinkie Pie and her ramblings._

_"Alright then, I'll see you at flight school next week! See ya!"_

_"B-bye…" Fluttershy murmured._

_She watched as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie ran back to play their game, and felt the loneliness strike at her heart._

Fluttershy woke up, and looked at the clock. Ten past two pm. She'd have to go get the twins back in three hours. She sighed. She liked that dream. Even though she was still alone, she'd never felt happier – in hindsight – than she had on that day. The day she and Rainbow made their first proper connection, after her lover-to-be had won the race for her. Although they weren't _that_ close at first, after Twilight came to town, they had grown to be as close as two peas in a pod. It was Rainbows' outgoing personality and unconditional loyalty that had awoken something inside of the shy, pink-haired Pegasus – something she liked. So much even, that she'd faced _a dragon_ when she thought Rainbow Dash was in danger. She had changed Fluttershy, that much was sure. The thing is, Rainbow wouldn't change. She was still the same, irresponsible filly as she was when they were growing up – at heart, at least. And they had a family now! Fluttershy loved her, but it was Rainbows' responsibility to raise them as much as it was hers! She sighed, and got up to do her chores. There's not much I can do about it now anyway, she thought. I'll just have to make the best of it.


	3. Chapter III: Meeting in the Mines

**Chapter III: Meeting in the Mines**

Rainbow Dash looked for Applejack at the entrance to the mines, but the orange-haired pony was nowhere to be found. Rainbow flew around for a while, until she noticed a dark shadow sneaking towards their rendez-vous point.

"Hey, over here!" she yelled, careful not to use Applejack's name. After all, if she'd gone through so much trouble to meet her here in secret, it probably wouldn't be wise to reveal who she was. Applejack turned around, and pointed into the mines, after which she swiftly ran in. She must really not want anypony to know about this, Rainbow thought to herself. She followed Applejack into the mines. They were empty.

"Applejack? Are you there?" she yelled.

"Ah'm over here." Came a quiet response to her left. She followed the sound until it led her to Applejack.

"Applejack, what's up with all this? Why're you sneaking around like that?"

"Ah'm not sneakin' around!" Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she just heard.

"You're not sneaking around!? Why do you want to meet me on the other side of Ponyville, inside mines that've been abandoned since Granny Smith was just a filly when you're wearing a black full-body suit! How is that anything else than sneaking around?" Rainbow Dash said, her wings flaring up as they always did when she got mad. Applejack was quiet for a few seconds.

"Well, ah s'pose you're right, Rainbow. Ah'm sorry. Now please, could you just be quiet for a bit and listen to what ah have to say?"

"Fine, but this had better be worth it." Rainbow said. Applejack winced.

"Ah don't know what to say…"

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

"Ah suppose you're right. Again." Applejack admitted.

"Come a lil' closer." She said. Rainbow Dash did as she was told.

"Ah've been lookin' for someone to tell this to for a long, long time, Rainbow. Ah couldn't think of anyone better than you."

"Keep talkin'."

"Ah'm in love, Rainbow." Rainbows' eyes widened.

"You're in LOVE!?" She yelled.

"THAT'S why we came all the way out here? Are you _insane _? Do you have any idea how much trouble it took me to get here?"

"Rainbow, please calm down! Ah'm not finished yet!"

"Well then, go on! Tell me _why_ you couldn't tell me this in Ponyville!"

"Because ah don't want everyone to know ah'm a filly-fooler!" Yelled Applejack. Rainbow's jaw dropped down to the bottom of the mineshaft.

"MOMMY!" two voices cried in unison. Two little foals came rushing for their mother, jumping and bumping about. Fluttershy smiled.

"Hi boys! Did you have fun at school?"

"I did!" squealed Autumn."

I didn't." muttered Winter.

"Oh, Winter, what happened, sweetie?"

"Paper Wings was being mean to me! He said I'm a useless Unicorn, and I'll never learn how to use magic!"

"Oh, sweetie, don't listen to him! He's just a big old meanie who doesn't know what he's talking about! I bet he'll never learn how to fly, anyway!" Fluttershy said, trying to cheer up her son. Winter muttered something, but she couldn't understand it.

"What'd you say, sweetie?"

"He flew through the classroom today." He said, sulking. Fluttershy didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. You'll… You'll just have to prove him wrong and try really hard!" she said.

"But what if I really can't use magic, mom?" he pouted.

"Oh, don't say that, sweetie – you'll find it someday! Every Unicorn does."

"But what if I don't?" her son continued.

"That's enough, Winter. Of course you will." Fluttershy said, resolved. Winter kept sulking. She took a deep breath, and turned to Autumn.

"And how was your day, Autumn?" she asked.

"Great! We played games all day long, it was so much fun!" he squealed.

"That's great, sweetie. I'm glad you had fun." She said.

"Let's get going boys, we should go home now. Come along!"

The twins followed their mother outside. When they got home, they looked so very tired, so Fluttershy put them to bed. She really had to talk to miss Cheerilee about Winter, there had to be a reason why he was so scared of going to school. Suddenly the front door slammed shut.

"I'm home!" yelled Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat – she was home very early today. She darted downstairs, and flew into her lovers' arms. They hugged and kissed each other until Rainbow pushed her away.

"Not now, love. We've got all weekend, remember?" Rainbow said. Fluttershy's heart skipped another beat – in two hours, Pinkie Pie and Storm Chaser would be stopping by to take care of the foals for the weekend, so she and Rainbow could have some quiet alone time. Storm Chaser was Pinkie's husband, they'd met when Pinkie went to visit some relatives in Manehattan. Three months later, they were married. They couldn't have any children, because Storm Chaser was impotent, so they spent a lot of time with the twins. Rainbow snickered.

"All weekend to do whatever we want to…" she said. While she was talking, Rainbows' thoughts trailed off, and led her back to her meeting in the mines.

_"Ah'm in love, Rainbow." Rainbows' eyes widened._

_"You're in LOVE!?" She yelled._

_"THAT'S why we came all the way out here? Are you insane ? Do you have any idea how much trouble it took me to get here?"_

_"Rainbow, please calm down! Ah'm not finished yet!"_

_"Well then, go on! Tell me why you couldn't tell me this in Ponyville!"_

_"Because ah don't want everyone to know ah'm a filly-fooler!" Yelled Applejack. Rainbow's jaw dropped down to the bottom of the mineshaft._

_"You're a filly-fooler? But – what about all those colts you went out with?" she asked._

_"Ah never wanted to go out with them – Ah've always known, but Ah've been afraid of telling anypony. Ah feel as if somepony should know, and Ah reckon you're the safest pony to tell. You know what it's like to be in mah position." Rainbow Dash went quiet for a while._

_"I do…" she whispered._

_"Who is it?" she asked._

_"What?" Applejack said._

_"Who are you in love with?"_

_"Ah'm not sure you want to know, Rainbow."_

_"If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked you, now would I?"_

_"Ah suppose…" Applejack said._

_"So, go on! Spill the beans!" Rainbow Dash insisted._

_"Ah… Ah can't say it."_

_"Why not? Why ask me for help if you can't tell me who it is?"_

_"Because Ah don't want to ruin things between you and me, Rainbow." A short silence fell.  
_

_"Are you in love with me?" Rainbow asked hesitantly.  
_

_"Ah…" Applejack fell quiet for a moment. Then she walked towards Rainbow, and planted her mouth on hers. Her tongue found its way into Rainbows' mouth, exploring the lair of the tongue it was wrestling so vigorously. It took a while before they broke the kiss._

_"Ah love you, Rainbow."_

_"I'm sorry, Applejack. I have Fluttershy and the twins. I can't do this." Rainbow said._

_"You don't have to. Just let me be your Fluttershy for one time." Applejack replied. She moved closer, embracing Rainbow in a lovers' hug. Rainbow resisted._

_"I can't… It's wrong, I couldn't do that to Fluttershy."_

_"It's only wrong if she finds out…" Applejack said. Rainbow sighed. Applejack was blocking her way out, and no matter how quick she was, she'd never be able to get out of the thin mineshaft.  
_

_"I will not do anything. You can do what you want with my body, but I'll not do a thing to yours. I just can't."_

_"Ah'll take it." Applejack said, as she moved her front hoof along Rainbow Dash's strong, muscular body._

_"Ah'll definitely take it."_


	4. Chapter 4: The Nature of Corruption

Chapter IV: The Nature of Corruption

Rainbow Dash felt horrible. She'd let Applejack get too far, and had betrayed Fluttershy and the twins in doing so. Her heart ached when she thought of their first few weeks. The thrill of going against what so many ponies thought to be normal, and the sheer joy Fluttershy brought her. That was gone. She still loved Fluttershy, but things were different now. She sighed. She loved the twins and she loved Fluttershy, but she felt as though she didn't deserve them. After all, this wasn't the first time this happened.

_Rainbow Dash woke up. The first thing she noticed were the stars painted on the ceiling to make it look like the peaceful night sky. The second thing she noticed was a nagging pain in her lower regions._

_"Where am I?" she wondered. She sat up straight in the bed. It felt strangely soft, yet somehow firm._

_"Good morning, Wonderlips." A heavy voice said. Rainbows head bolted up, her eyes peering through the darkness to see who the voice belonged to._

_"Why… Why do you call me Wonderlips?" she asked the shadows._

_"Because…" the voice went quiet for a second and the light switched on._

_"You've worked wonders on this little colt with them."_

_Rainbow Dash shrieked and leapt out of the bed, her eyes widened in shock. In front of her stood Steel Wings, a colt well known for his sexual escapades. He was standing up straight, his member fully erect._

_"What's wrong?" he asked, slightly worried._

_"You – I – wha?" Rainbow stumbled._

_"What's the matter, Wonderlips?"_

_"I… No, my name is Rainbow Dash."_

_The next thing she remembered was crying in a corner of her room. She didn't know how she got home, and she didn't care. Just when she finally came to terms with liking mares, and only two weeks after she started dating Fluttershy, she'd woken up in bed with a colt, and it was no secret what had happened. The nagging pain in her loins made sure of that – she'd seen Steel Wings' equipment and heard his reputation._

_"Forgive me, Shy… Please forgive me…" she cried._

"Bye mommy. I love you!" Winter said.

"I love you too, sweetie." Fluttershy answered.

"Have fun boys!" Rainbow Dash said. She looked at the twins as they jumped around the corner with Pinkie Pie, soon to be followed by Storm Chaser. Fluttershy turned to face her wife an grinned.

"So…" she said.

"What would you like to do first?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Oh, I can think of a few things." Rainbow answered.

"Is that so? And what are you thinking of, exactly?" Fluttershy asked. Rainbow grinned and pulled her marefriend closer towards her. She whispered a few words into Fluttershy's ear, and the pale yellow Pegasus giggled.

"Well, I'm sure that can be arranged." She said as she led her lover inside. Rainbow followed meekly, with a heavy heart – she had to keep up appearances, she couldn't let Fluttershy know what had happened between her and Applejack.

Fluttershy took charge. As timid as the Pegasus was, she was quit the deviant in bed. She knew exactly how to please Rainbow and still be properly satisfied herself. Their lovemaking lasted for around half an hour, after which the two ponies collapsed in bed.

"That was amazing, Rainbow." Fluttershy said.

"Yeah, it was." Rainbow responded, out of breath. She snuggled up to Fluttershy, who laid her head on Rainbows' shoulder. Rainbow stroked her head, and – at least for a while – it seemed as if the whole universe revolved around them.

Fluttershy woke up in an empty bed. Still dazed, she looked around the room, hoping to find her marefriend. A chill ran down her spine as a cold winter breeze blew in through the open windows. She hurried out of bed to close them, when she saw Rainbow Dash sitting outside on the balcony. She shivered, but flew outside to help Rainbow banish the demons that plagued her mind. Rainbow looked up when she felt Fluttershy's hoof on her shoulder, and gazed into the eyes of her lover.

"What's wrong, Dashie?" Fluttershy asked. Rainbow gulped.

"Nothing. Should there be something?"

"Don't lie to me, Rainbow. You never come out here unless something's bothering you. So, I'll ask you again – what's wrong?"

Rainbow smiled joylessly. It was amazing how someone could know you so well, yet not know they do at all.

"Can't keep a secret from you, can I?" she said. Fluttershy shook her head.

"Not a chance."

"I had a dream." Rainbow started.

"About what?" Fluttershy asked.

"You." Came the response.

"And the kids." She continued.

"You were standing in the midst of a fire, flanked by Winter and Autumn, as well as a foal I didn't recognize. I yelled for you, but you didn't respond – I wasn't even sure you could hear me. I tried to get you all out of there, but for every step I took forward, you took two back, until you eventually faded away into darkness. Suddenly the floor collapsed below me, and I couldn't use my wings to fly. I was falling into a deep, dark pit. I felt as if my life had already come to an end. The mocking voices of when we first got together echoed throughout the void."

A short silence fell.

"I… Don't know what to say." Fluttershy said.

"I'm not done yet. The voices went quiet after a while, and I could suddenly see your face in front of me very clearly. You said something, but I couldn't hear what. Then I woke up and came out here." Rainbow finished, with a grimaced look.

"Well… It was just a dream, wasn't it?" Fluttershy said.

"Yeah… a figment of my imagination." Rainbow responded. She saw Fluttershy's head in front of her again – the Fluttershy from her dream, that was. The head shouted, and the words struck at Rainbows heart as if they were blades.

"You betrayed me!"

Rainbow burst into tears, and Fluttershy took hold of her lover, trying to console the cyan pony.

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to upload this! I wasn't entirely sure what to do with the story anymore after the third chapter, but I've got it figured out now. I'm making progress on Chapter 5, and I hope it'll be up soon. I hope you liked it!**


	5. Chapter 5: A Gentle Summer Breeze

**Chapter V: A Gentle Summer Breeze**

_"Well… It was just a dream, wasn't it?" Fluttershy said._

_"Yeah… a figment of my imagination." Rainbow responded. She saw Fluttershy's head in front of her again – the Fluttershy from her dream, that was. The head shouted, and the words struck at Rainbows heart as if they were blades._

_"I loved you!"_

_Rainbow burst into tears, and Fluttershy took hold of her lover, trying to console the cyan pony._

**_Three months later_**

"Mommy, I don't feel good." Autumn pouted.

"There, there, sweetie. You've got a flu, that's all. It's nothing to worry about." Fluttershy responded.

"Is this gonna be forever?"

"Of course not, sweetie." Came the giggling response.

"Just for a couple days, don't worry."

"I'm going to die, mommy! My tummy really hurts!"

"Of course you're not going to die, you silly little foal!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Yes I am!" Autumn cried.

"You're too special to die, sweetie. You're my little unicorn." Fluttershy told him in a soothing voice. She stroked her sons' feverish head.

"Will you sing me a song?" Autumn asked, looking at his mother with eyes as big and sparkling as the moon. Fluttershy smiled.

"Of course, sweetie. What would you like me to sing?"

"Sleep tight. Please." Her son pined. Fluttershy started to sing.

_Sleep, my baby, sleep tight._

_Say goodnight now, my sweetheart._

_Sleep, my baby, sleep, my baby_

_Sleep, my baby, sleep tight._

_Your mommy is here._

_And for you I'll stand guard._

_Your mommy is here._

_I love you with all my heart._

Autumn's eyes had slid shut, and his breath had steadied somewhat. His little torso rose and fell with every breath he took, like a giant, living teddy bear. Fluttershy gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, careful not to wake the young unicorn. She went downstairs, silently closing the door behind her. Rainbow Dash sat in the living room. She looked up when Fluttershy came in and smiled.

"How's he doing?" she asked.

"Better. His fever dropped a bit, it should break soon." Fluttershy answered. She flew over to Rainbow, and sat herself next to her. Rainbow draped a wing around her, and she laid her head on Rainbow's shoulder.

"Good. I hate seeing him like that." She said. Fluttershy nuzzled up closer to her wife.

"I've been thinking." Rainbow said.

"About what?"

"I want to have another."

"Another what?"

"Another filly."

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long! I've been busy with school and procrastinating and working out new ideas for the story, I completely forgot to upload this for you guys. I'm terribly sorry it's such a short chapter, but I think you'll enjoy it nontheless. Before I continue, I'd like to thank you all for reading everything I've written so far, it's awesome and the only reason I do this. You guys are awesome. /)**

**The next chapter *should*, and I repeat, *SHOULD* be uploaded around christmas. It's much bigger than any of the previous chapters, both as an apology for such a short chapter V and a christmas present! I also have a few small surprises planned for you guys, but I can't make any promises about them just yet - you'll know if I update them! I'm not promising you'll have the chapter on christmas, because my birthday along with like eight other people in my family is around that time.  
**

**Finally, I'd like to wish everyone happy holidays and new year! Don't drink and drive, and please, careful with the boomsticks also known as fireworks.  
**

**A.S.  
**


	6. Chapter 6: It's all relative

Chapter VI: It's all relative

Fluttershy's head bolted up, looking into Rainbow Dash's crimson eyes.

"You want another foal?" she exclaimed. Rainbow Dash nodded.

"How did you think of that?" Fluttershy stuttered.

"Well, I was thinking how the Wonderbolts wouldn't ask me to join them anymore, I'm too old now. So, my only excuse for not getting pregnant didn't count anymore. Plus, I love Winter and Autumn, but I haven't got any actual relation o them. If we get the stallion to donate again, or ask Twilight to get him to, I could have a filly or a foal with the same father, and I'd be related to the boys too. And, less directly, to you – we would all share a blood link." Rainbow said.

"But Dashie, you're already related to them! You're their mother as much as I am. But we'd have so much work to do! We'll have to add a room, for starters, and baby proof the house, change diapers and we wouldn't get a good nights' rest for a long time again." Fluttershy explained.

"I want to do it." Came the stern response.

"I'll take everything that comes with it, I want to have another filly." Rainbow continued. Her expression changed to a sadder one.

"And you thought _now_ would be the right time to tell me!? While Autumn lies sick in bed?"

"Please? Don't you want another little miracle?" she pleaded. Fluttershy sighed.

"Yes, I do. I'd love another baby, but I don't think we should do it now." She said.

"Well, it won't be now, it'll be in a year!" Rainbow said happily. Fluttershy couldn't suppress a giggle.

"Fine, you win. Let's have another foal."

"Really?" Rainbow beamed.

"But only if Twilight and the Stallion agree to it!" Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash hurled herself at Fluttershy, holding her in a bone-crushing embrace.

**_Four days later_**

Rainbow Dash flew over Ponyville, making sure she hadn't missed any rainclouds. The skies were supposed to be clear this afternoon and somepony had been messing around, placing rainclouds at random places, soaking anyone walking under them. Thankfully, it seemed as though they'd found something better to do – everything looked alright. After a quick round, Rainbow hurried to the library, where Fluttershy and Twilight were waiting for her. She landed in front of the door, which immediately opened to reveal a young dragon.

"Hey Spike." Rainbow said.

"Hi Rainbow."

"Is Fluttershy here yet?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's upstairs, talking to Twilight." Spike answered.

"Okay, thanks!" Rainbow said. She took off, leaving Spike in a rainbow-coloured cloud of dust.

She burst into the room, stumbled and tumbled onto Twilight's bed.

"Glad to see you could make it, Rainbow Dash." An amused voice said. Rainbow blushed.

"Hi, Twilight."

"Have a seat." Twilight said, gesturing to one of the chairs next to her. Rainbow Dash folded her wings and sat down.

"Fluttershy tells me you want to ask me something?" the Unicorn said. Rainbow lifted an eyebrow and looked at Fluttershy.

"I thought it'd be best if you asked it yourself." She said. Rainbow nodded.

"Alright then." Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight.

"I want to have another filly."

She let it sink in for a while. After a few seconds, Twilight answered.

"Is that so? May I ask why?"

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few months. The Wonderbolts aren't going to ask me to join anymore, I'm too old. That, and I realized that I was the only one in our family not directly related to anyone. So, I thought if you could get the stallion that gave us the twins to donate again, I would have a direct relation to the twins and Fluttershy. I'd be related to the twins because they'd share the same father, and Fluttershy because the kids share the same father, only they'd have a different mother, linking me to my family." Rainbow Dash explained. Twilight listened attentively.

"I see. And you're sure about this?" she asked, looking at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow answered.

"Yes, we are."

Twilight thought for a moment.

"I'll see what I can do. The same stallion, you say?"

"Yes, please. I suppose a related stallion would work as well, but we really want him." Rainbow responded.

"And what if he has no relatives and he doesn't want to donate again? I'm just trying to cover all my bases here." Twilight said.

"I… I haven't thought of that. I guess I'd still want a filly." Rainbow stuttered.

"It seems a bit far-fetched though, doesn't it?" she continued.

"It certainly does, but it's better to know what to do now instead of having to stumble around with it later." Twilight said. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at eachother.

"You two should go home, for now. Think it over again. Give it a week, and if you're still sure, come back here and I'll talk to him." Twilight said. Rainbow was quiet, looking as though she'd just been busted with her hoof in the cookiejar. Twilight looked at her, thinking about what could be going on inside the cyan pony's head. Fluttershy stood up.

"Thanks, Twilight. We'll think about it." She said, pulling Rainbow Dash up and guiding her to the door. Twilight let them out and was joined by Spike.

"So what're you going to do, Twilight?" he asked.

"I'm going to do exactly what I promised. I'm going to wait a week, and if they're still sure, I'll ask again."

"He's not going to like that."

"I know. But he's going to do it anyway – it's their job to spread love, after all."

**Twelve years ago**

_"Fluttershy! Wake up, Flutters!"_

_Something tugged her right ear. Dazed, Fluttershy opened her eyes, her vision blurry._

_"Come on, wake up!"_

_Whatever had her left ear let go of it, and a big blue blot bobbed up and down in front of her. She rubbed her eyes, revealing an excited Rainbow Dash jumping up and down._

_"Wha…" she asked as a yawn cut off her sentence._

_"Good, you're up! Let's go!" Rainbow rambled. Fluttershy looked at her, puzzled. The cyan filly sighed._

_"You promised me you'd come watch me practice today! The Wonderbolts talent scout will be here tomorrow!" she exclaimed. Fluttershy yawned again and looked at the clock. 5:39 A.M._

_"Rainbow Dash, do you know what time it is?" she asked._

_"Of course I do! I should've been at it for half an hour now, but I had to come get you and then you were asleep and now I'm late so get up already and let's go!" Rainbow rambled. Fluttershy sighed. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she said she'd come, but Rainbow was her only friend._

_Fluttershy ducked in horror as Rainbow Dash soared over her head and crashed into a tree. She rushed over to help her, but by the time she got to her, Rainbow was already testing her wings to take off again._

_"Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?" she asked, gasping for air._

_"Of course I am. I've had worse. Besides, it wasn't a hard tree." Rainbow said. Fluttershy looked at the tree, and her mouth fell open. An giant chunk of bark was torn out, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the tree's trunk. Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time she'd seen this._

_"Rainbow Dash, how often do you crash into trees?" She asked, slightly worried._

_"I dunno, three or four times when I practice." Came the response._

_"How often do you practice?"_

_"Two, three times a day."_

_And she was gone. Rainbow Dash had taken off, leaving behind nothing but a rainbow-colored afterimage. _

**The next day**

_"Cheer up, Rainbow Dash. It wasn't that bad!" Fluttershy said, trying to cheer up her best friend._

_"Shut up! It was horrible, I screwed everything up!" Rainbow Dash cried, tears running down her cheeks. Fluttershy didn't know what to say, so she tried to drape a wing around Rainbow. She beat the wing away and flew off._

_**A/N: Phew, made it in time! As promised, a chapter right around Christmas with two days to spare! Go me! Anyway, in this chapter I skimmed on one of the biggest plot points in the story, and I'd like to hold a little contest about it. Whoever can find the plot point first and accurately guess what it is will get an opportunity to be part of the story! I'll incorporate your OC into one of the upcoming chapters, but first, some ground rules:**_

_**1) You can only submit your entry to the competition until January 1st, 2013. Any entries sent in after that will not count. To enter the competition, send me a private message titled "Forgotten Memories competition entry: Your name / OC". **_

_**2) If you win, please provide me with a picture of your OC (preferably made using the Pony Creator you can find on generalzoi's DeviantArt) along with a description of their character. The pictures can be self-drawn as well, that doesn't really matter - the Pony Creator is just easier for me to work with.**_

_**3) Your OC will get a minor role in the story, so don't try to make them have a relationship with any of the Mane Six, CMC or any other ponies in the show. Any entries that try this will be disqualified. The role will be small but important.**_

_**4) Try to keep your OC fun to write - I'd hate to write about a pony that enjoys torturing baby bunnies, so no Rainbow Factory of Cupcake-content, please. You'll be disqualified if you do.**_

_**5) If nobody finds the plot point in time, the competition will be extended to February 1st, 2013. If no-one has found it by then, I'll choose one of the entries at random.**_

_**The winner will be announced in a placeholder chapter, which will stand until I release Chapter 7 - The Age of Innocence. That being said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I look forward to reading your entries!**_

_**-A.S.**_


	7. Chapter 7: Troubled Skies

Chapter VII: Troubled skies

**Fourteen years ago**

_"Leave her alone!" the cyan filly said, placing herself in between the two boys and the yellow filly._

_"Ohh, what're you gonna do, Rainbow *Crash*?" The boys sneered._

_"Keep makin' fun of her and find out!" Rainbow Dash yelled._

_"You think you're such a big shot? Why don't you prove it?" one of the boys said._

_"What do you have in mind?" Rainbow asked. The boy grinned._

**_Thirty-five minutes later_**

_"Uh-uhm.. Thank you…" Fluttershy mumbled, barely audible._

_"Hey, no problem! You can count on me!" Rainbow Dash said. Fluttershy winced._

_"Th-thank you…" she whispered._

_"Sorry, what? Didn't quite catch that." The speedster said._

_"I… thanks…" Fluttershy mumbled, a bit louder this time._

_"Don't mention it! But uh – what's your name?"_

_"I'm… Flut…"_

_"You're gonna have to speak up."_

_"Flut…y…"_

_"Come on, try again, you can do it."_

_"Fluttershy." The cream-coloured filly wheezed._

_"Better." the cyan filly noted._

_"My name's Rainbow Dash, and I'm gonna be the best flyer in all of Equestria and leader of the Wonderbolts!" she said, flying fast laps around Fluttershy._

_"That's… nice." Fluttershy said, wincing again._

_"Come on, you don't have to be scared of me! I just helped you out, remember? Come on, I'll buy you lunch." Rainbow Dash offered._

_"We're at summer camp, the meals are free…" Fluttershy muttered. This time, Rainbow expected it._

_"Well, I didn't say we'd be eating here, did I?" Rainbow Dash said, a mischievous grin on her face._

**Present day**

Fluttershy sat down in the sofa. She'd just gotten home from taking the boys to school, whilst Rainbow Dash was arranging some clouds for a big storm that was scheduled the next day. It had been two days since they'd gone to Twilight, and she was still resolved to have the filly. Fluttershy still agreed to go on with it as long as Rainbow did. She sighed. Rainbow had admitted the Wonderbolts wouldn't ask her to join anymore, which was a big step forward. A knock on their front door tore her away from her thoughts, and forced her back into the world. She got up, and opened the door to reveal a tired Applejack.

"Applejack! I wasn't expecting you, come in."

"Nah, that's okay. Ah'm just sayin' goodbye anyway."

"You're… saying goodbye?" Fluttershy asked, amazed. Applejack nodded.

"That's right. Ah'm leavin' Ponyville for a while, and ah don't know when ah'll be back."

"Where are you going?"

"Ah can't tell ya, sorry. Ah just know it'll be a long time, ah might not even come back at all."

"But… What about Sweet Apple Acres?"

"Carrot Bits is helpin' out, she's got nothin' else to do anyway."

"I…" Fluttershy started, but before she could go any further, Applejack interrupted her.

"Ah don't have any time left, sugarcube. Is Rainbow Dash home?"

"No, she's on weather duty at the moment – you could tell me, I'll make sure she gets the message."

"That's alright sugarcube, if ya could just give her this letter." Applejack said, digging through her saddlebags and pulling out an envelope to Rainbow Dash's name. Fluttershy took it and flew inside to put it on the table. When she came back, Applejack was already gone.

"What was that all about?" she pondered out loud.

Fluttershy awoke to an empty bed once more. She sighed and hugged Rainbow Dash's pillow, something she'd been doing far too often lately, she realised with discontent. She missed Rainbow – not the rash, uninhibited Rainbow, but the caring, loving Rainbow she'd known when they'd first started dating. She hugged the pillow harder, hoping to catch a subtle hint of her lovers' scent. Her nostrils flared when the sweet-scented aroma of Rainbow Dash invaded them.

"Oh Rainbow..." she sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I love you."

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was out with her squad attacking a rogue storm cloud. She was the squad captain, while Iron Wings was second in command. The twins, Cloudburster and Cloudchaser were young, just out of training, but full of promise.

"Look out below!" Rainbow yelled, right before a giant lightning bolt struck a tree and set it ablaze. The fire cast dancing shadows over the Harmony Square as it consumed the tree. Ponies darted in all directions, looking for safety.

"Cloudchaser, douse that fire!" Rainbow shouted. The dark-blue Pegasus rushed down to break some of the trees' branches so the fire wouldn't jump to other trees or buildings, and then rushed off towards the fire station.

"Iron Wings, make sure there's nopony still down there! Cloudburster, help me get this thing out of here!" Iron Wings darted through the streets surrounding the square, telling anypony he saw to get inside quickly. Mere moments later, the gray-and-white Pegasus shot back up into the skies and nodded at Rainbow Dash.

"Good to go, Cap!' he shouted. Rainbow Dash nodded at him and looked at Cloudburster, who thrust his left hoof in the air twice – their unofficial let's-do-this-sign. Rainbow flew underneath the cloud and started circling top to bottom, while her pale-blue companion circled from side to side. When Iron Wings whistled one long and two short notes, they started to manoeuvre the cloud down to earth.

"Get out of there, it's gonna strike again!" Iron Wings shouted. Rainbow Dash flew up to the skies the second she could.

"Cloudburster, get out of there!"

"No can do, boss! It'd do too much damage!" Cloudburster answered, driving the cloud further down.

"You idiot, the earth will absorb the lightning, that's why we're moving it down in the first place!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily. When Cloudburster refused to leave the cloud alone, Rainbow decided she'd get him out herself. She flew back down, and broke the first and second rule of weather control: You do not fly through storm clouds, and you do NOT fly through storm clouds. But Rainbow Dash did exactly that, reappearing unscathed on the other side. Cloudburster continued pushing the cloud further down and saw Rainbow Dash. He gave the cloud one more push and catapulted himself in her direction, sending her spinning, after which he darted off as fast as he could too.

"Cloudburster, what in the name of Celestia do you think you're –" Rainbow Dash started, but she was interrupted by the dying cries of mother nature herself. The cloud burst open, and at least six lightning bolts raced down to the ground, each leaving nothing but a charred patch of soil the size of a six-year old pony in its wake. Another bolt narrowly shot past Cloudburster and Rainbow Dash, who looked at Cloudburster in amazement.

"Thank me later, let's clear this thing first." He said. Rainbow Dash nodded, and they released what little charge the cloud had left harmlessly into the air, after which Cloudburster did his name justice and got rid of the cloud. Rainbow flew up to her squadmate.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Don't be. You only did as you were taught. There's nothing wrong with that." He said.

"You followed the same classes, yet you knew something was wrong. Somepony could've gotten hurt, or worse." Rainbow responded.

"My name is Cloudburster for a reason, ma'am. I'm better attuned to the skies than most Pegasi, like my brother. I can't explain it, it's just a feeling I get. I trust my gut, ma'am. That's all." He explained.

"I'll file you for a promotion, or at least a raise."

"Please don't, ma'am. I'm happy in this team, and I earn enough to support my family and set a little something aside every month."

"Well, you saved my life, and probably some others along the way. The least I can do is invite you and your family over for dinner Saturday night." She said. A smile decorated Cloudchasers' face.

"I'd be happy to, ma'am."

**A/N: Well, there you have it! The winner of the contest is included in this story, and his OC, Cloudchaser, is featured! Although he wished to remain anonymous, this won't be the last you've seen of him. And no, this isn't the background pony Cloudchaser. **

**Personally, I'm not too sure about this chapter, I feel like I missed something, but I couldn't find it, no matter how hard I tried. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**As for the rest of the story, I've got a couple of great ideas I think you guys are going to love. More on that later though!**

**As always, R&R & I'll love you forever ;)**

**-A.S.**


	8. Update - Rewrite in progress

**TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS**

I am currently re-writing the entire story to fix plotholes and inconsistencies. I'm sorry it's taking so long for a new chapter, but the recent chapters have some important content that's better suited to deal with one at a time, rather than all at once. I should be able to post updated chapters every week, but as always, I'll update when it's ready.

-A.S.


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